A 21-year-old trans woman from Stockton, Teesside, has been convicted of sexual assault after failing to disclose her transgender status to a man before engaging in sexual activity.
Ciara Watkin spent a night with the man, who is the same age, at a house in North Yorkshire after meeting him on Snapchat, a court heard.
The victim told police that during their encounter, Watkin moved his hand away when he attempted to touch her breast and claimed she was on her period to prevent him from touching her genitals, before performing sexual acts on him.
The pair met a second time at his home, where Watkin also interacted with the victim’s mother, who suspected she was trans but did not speak up.
Friends of the victim who were present reportedly also suspected her gender identity. Watkin, who has not undergone gender reassignment surgery, later admitted to the victim that she was born male.
The man filed a complaint, explaining he would not have engaged in sexual activity had he known she was trans, stating he “does not swing that way.”
Watkin made full admissions to the police, acknowledging that she had deliberately misled the victim about her gender to secure sexual relations.
She told officers she feared the relationship would end if the man discovered she was transgender.
However, in court, Watkin denied sexual assault. Her defence argued that it would have been “blindingly obvious” she was trans, citing her appearance and voice, and suggested the victim must have realised her status from the outset.
The defence claimed Watkin’s admission to the police was motivated by a desire to be recognised as a woman rather than an attempt to deceive.
The judge noted: “The defence says this is an accused person who has fooled herself into believing she successfully deceived him. She so wants to be female, she has actually fooled herself.”
A jury of seven women and five men reached their verdicts after roughly an hour of deliberation.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Sarah Nelson of CPS North East said: “It is clear from the evidence in this case that, before engaging in sexual activity with the victim, Watkin had not attempted to inform him of her transgender status.
“The Crown Prosecution Service has shown that by failing to disclose this, it would not have been possible for him to give informed consent to sexual activity.”
Watkin, who has used the name Ciara since the age of 13, has been granted bail pending sentencing.
The judge indicated that sentencing may be delayed until a psychiatric report is completed.
The court heard that prison is the “most overwhelming likelihood” for Watkin, but the judge urged authorities to consider the “very real management issues” that her incarceration might pose.
This case has prompted discussions about consent, disclosure, and the legal responsibilities of transgender individuals in sexual relationships.
It also highlights the complex legal and social issues that can arise when deception about personal identity intersects with questions of consent.
Authorities have yet to confirm a date for sentencing, pending further psychiatric assessment and pre-sentencing reports.
